


New Beginning

by ValkyrieShepard



Series: Thorki Collection [5]
Category: Thor (Movies), Thor - All Media Types
Genre: Adventure, Avengers - Freeform, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Incest, M/M, Sequel, Sibling Incest, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-01
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-04-16 23:18:02
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14175510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ValkyrieShepard/pseuds/ValkyrieShepard
Summary: Sequel toA Promise And A Spell. Young Thor and Loki are starting anew on Midgard, after fleeing their home and Odin who found out about their relationship. But going from prince to lowly worker is difficult, and Thor promised to make his brother happy. Could the Avengers be the key?





	New Beginning

“Loki, I’m back!,” Thor did not have to raise his voice to be heard in their tiny apartment, and it did not take long for him to see Loki rushing towards him. Although tired, he eagerly hugged him in greeting, followed by a quick kiss.

 

“Took you long enough. Your shift ended an hour ago.”

 

“Sorry, boss made me clean the cappuccino machine. Again.” Thor rolled his eyes. It hadn’t even been the end of the day, only the end of the shift.

 

“Did she flirt with you again?,” Loki asked, raising an eyebrow. His jealousy made Thor feel a little proud. He had no desire to be with anyone else, but he liked being desired by Loki.

 

“I guess. I didn’t talk to her much. Just finished and got out of there…,” he leaned in again, kissing Loki and he let his hands wander lower, squeezing that perfect behind. “So I could get back to you.”

 

“Good.”

 

Loki disentangled himself from Thor’s embrace, and went back to the window he had been working on. Runes covered it, shimmering with his brother’s familiar green magic. He was careful to renew them every other week, making sure that this home was shielded from certain watchful eyes. Making sure that they were safe from their father’s eye, and Heimdall’s, was taking a toll on Loki. He looked tired.

 

It shouldn’t be this way. It was Thor’s responsibility to make sure that they were safe, not his brother’s. Remnants of the spell Loki had cast on him still made him feel anxious, impatient. Thor had to do something, his brother was barely able to keep up with any job, and they needed it to pay for this small apartment.

 

Midgard was a chaotic place, especially the city they had ended up in. But there was something about New York, as confusing as it had been in the beginning, it offered plenty of opportunity for two lost young men to try and make their way. Which hadn’t been easy, and there had been people trying to rob them of what little they had, but neither was New York prepared for two Asgardians strong enough to deal with anything it could throw at them.

 

Though magic was something even more frowned upon here. Most would not even believe that it existed. Loki still shook his head at the naive humans, as he called them, ignoring what was all around them, instilled into the very fabric of their lives.

 

Nevertheless, taking the jewels from his room had been a lifesaver. It had provided them with enough of the local currency to stay in what they called a hotel, an inn where they could stay until they could find work. Which Thor had quickly found due to the fascination of the coffee shop’s owner with him. He didn’t like her glances much and while she tried to flirt he never let it go anywhere, he was far too in love with Loki to even consider anyone else. At least she had been willing to teach him everything he needed to know.

 

It was so strange, going from being a prince, to a lowly worker, hardly considered human by some of his customers. The pay wasn’t particularly good either, so everything they could afford was a single room apartment. Their bed took up most of it, and the small kitchen left much to be desired, only separated by a room divider the previous inhabitant had left behind. At least the bathroom had a tub, small but enough for them to sometimes cuddle in it, sharing the intimacy of washing each other’s hair.

 

The one window looked out into the inner courtyard of the apartment complex, where during the day kids would play, and during the night, before they had arrived, drug dealers held their business. Miraculously a few days after they had moved in, those dealings had stopped. Thor suspected it had something to do with the glyphs he saw on the ground, invisible to the mortals of this realm.

 

Thor hadn’t quite made it to the bathroom yet, instead he let himself fall onto the messy bed, watching Loki weave his magic. His hair was tied up in a messy bun, somehow graceful at the same time. Thor adored his brother’s hair his… everything. He could watch him all day if he weren’t so damn tired…

 

Before he could drift off Loki turned to him again, giving him a rare smile. It only took a step to close the distance, and he sat by his side. Absentmindedly Thor’s hand wandered over his brother’s thigh, barely conscious to feel his warmth.

 

Loki reached out and brushed a streak of his hair out of his face, then leaned down to kiss his forehead. Lately they were often too tired to do much more than that.

 

“I’ll find another job soon, I promise,” Loki said. He had been bouncing from one to the other, unable to hold any of them for a while. He was a prince through and through, too impatient to deal with people’s ‘incompetence’ as he called it. “Then you won’t have to take double shifts anymore.”

 

“It’s alright,” he replied, pulling Loki down so he would lie by his side. “I want you to find something you like.”

 

“Something I like, hm?,” he drifted off, and Thor sneaked his hand under the simple black shirt Loki was wearing. “I doubt I could find something like that here.”

 

“You can’t be the only person with magic,” Thor said, his fingers finding a nipple to tease, to make Loki gasp. As he inched closer, he pressed kisses to Loki’s arm, then to his neck. “You can find them, can’t you?”

 

“It could risk drawing attention to us, ah…,” Loki moaned when Thor’s lips found his earlobe, kissing, then tugging on it with his teeth. “Oh Thor…”

 

Nothing made all this more worth it than hearing his name moaned in this way. It gave him renewed energy and he rolled over, framing Loki with his own body, letting him feel the weight of it without crushing him. Only briefly did he sit up to shrug out of his shirt, tossing it aside. Loki was already frantically undoing his pants, pushing them only far enough down so he could pull him out, Thor was already half hard.

 

He grabbed Loki’s hands, pinned them over his head and kissed him again, roughly, passionately this time. Suddenly he was full of energy again, and hurriedly undressed his brother who was already reaching for the little bedside table they had found on the side of the road. One thing he did love about Midgard, was definitely the scented lube that smelled and tasted like strawberries.

 

Despite the hurry Thor was careful not to hurt his brother, to make sure he was stretched open and relaxed when he took him. The fact that he had hurt him the first time they had made love in the maze still haunted Thor. But at least Loki had not been angry with him, despite his late confession to the matter.

 

“Your beauty is unparallelled,” Thor gasped against Loki’s lips, searching for his gaze until theirs met. He thrust into him, feeling Loki tighten around him. “In all the nine realms.”

 

“Oh Thor… Ahh…”

 

Thor did not let him talk, or even think, what he revelled in most was to see the pleasure he gave him reflected in those moans and whimpers that only he could cause.

 

“I promise you,” he said as he thrust into him, finding one hand and intertwining their fingers. “I will find a way to give you everything you deserve. You are my love, and my prince.”

 

The next time Loki called out his name was when he made him come, with a drawn out moan and his legs high in the air. Thor watched him closely, grinning and leaning in to swallow those moans with a kiss, as if to drink them up. Loki’s hands on his ass still encouraged him, urging him on to finish inside him, as he always did. Once the heat and pleasure overwhelmed him too, he found Loki watching him in return.

 

“Do not,” he said breathlessly. “Think me so shallow that I need those jewels you used to give me.”

 

“But you want them,” Thor stated. He knew that it was true.

 

Huddled close together they walked to the bathroom, drawing a bath. The tap had to run for a moment before the brown water turned clear, and Thor saw the grimace Loki made at it every time.

 

“I will get us out of here,” he promised. “I will give you what you want.”

 

“Oh you fool,” Loki sighed, cuddling against him in the tub. “You’re a damn fool.”

 

Fool or not, there was something in those moments, in this tiny apartment, where they helped each other make a simple dinner and cuddled up in front of the small TV they had been able to afford from a pawn shop. Maybe they didn’t have gold or jewels anymore, but they had each other, and freedom. The freedom to marvel at the strange stories the humans came up with, creating worlds from computers to show as their entertainment. Together with Loki, this life wasn’t so bad.

 

Even if it was getting colder now, and snow laid like a blanket over the city, Thor felt comfortable when the two of them went out together. Here he could wrap an arm around the man he loved without fearing that either of them would be attacked - at least not by Odin. And those humans that thought loving another man was wrong, well he could deal with those easily. He was still the mighty Thor.

 

He made sure to wrap Loki in a big green scarf, zipping up his leather jacket and thinking that he really needed to buy him another one. But Loki was smiling at him, his cheeks a little flushed, either form the cold or his proximity. It did not matter, he kissed them both to make his brother roll his eyes.

 

They had a precious day off and they used it to walk around the city for a bit, exploring it and window shopping, as his friends at the coffee shop called it. He wasn’t really sure what the fun part of it was, when they couldn’t afford many of the things they saw, but he enjoyed walking around with his brother. Besides, exploring the city and shown them many exciting things, and today Loki suddenly pulled him into an alley.

 

“I was thinking about what you said,” Loki looked past him to see if the coast was clear.

 

“About public sex?,” Thor asked, eager.

 

“What? No it’s far too cold! About the magic users. There have to be some. Maybe I could just-”

 

The knife pressed to Thor’s throat caught them both off guard, and Loki’s eyes widened. Thor was forced to walk backwards a little, away from his brother who looked around frantically. There was at least one more person that Thor could see, but how many in total, he wasn’t sure.

 

“Hand over all of your cash,” a voice behind him said.

 

Thor grinned.

 

“You have really chosen the wrong man to rob,” he replied.

 

He quickly turned, ignoring the knife that barely broke the skin of his neck, and punched whoever was behind him in the face. It only grazed the man’s cheek, and impacted in the wall behind him, splaying brick and mortar everywhere. That made the man - who was wearing a black cotton mask - hesitate, long enough that Thor could follow with another punch, knocking him out cold.

 

But when he turned to his brother he saw another one threaten him with a knife. Fear touched his heart for a moment, but then, neither of them were human.

 

“You got this, brother?,” he asked.

 

And Loki smiled.

 

“Of course I do.”

 

His form flickered for a moment, and Thor knew he had teleported away, leaving only an illusion behind. He appeared to his left, behind another man who collapsed instantly, green energy floating around his head. He appeared to be whimpering as nightmares took him over, and when Loki’s illusion vanished the last man standing simply ran. Thor was about to go after him when he tripped, feet held in place by something white and… sticky.

 

Thor turned and looked up, seeing a figure sticking against the wall in a red and blue suit that covered his entire body. Energy crackled over his fingertips, ready to unleash should this person attack him or his brother.

 

“You know I thought I had to come in here and save you guys, but it looks like you had this all under control.”

 

Loki suddenly appeared by his side, and he wrapped an arm around him again protectively. The figure raised his hands in a calming motion.

 

“Not here to hurt you guys, I’m the guy who saves people, you know?”

 

Realisation washed over Thor, and he lowered his hand, the spark of lightning vanishing harmlessly.

 

“It’s the man of spiders!,” he pointed at him, and grinned at Loki. “The one from TV!”

 

Loki still wasn’t particularly relaxed, but he rolled his eyes, which meant he wasn’t taking him seriously as a threat. Thor however went closer and eagerly reached out to shake the man’s hand when he came down from the wall.

 

“That was an impressive shot,” Thor said, beaming at him.

 

“It’s actually Spider-Man,” he replied, scratching the back of his neck. “And thanks. Though that punch, wow.”

 

Loki cleared his throat.

 

“Teleportation is pretty awesome too,” he quickly added. “And whatever you did to that guy. Nice trick. Is it permanent?”

 

“It’s not a trick,” Loki huffed. “It’s a skill, and no, he won’t be forever tormented, just long enough for us to get away.”

 

“Speaking of which…,” he trailed off, and the three of them listened to the police sirens getting closer. “We should get out of here. Meet me in that abandoned lot three blocks that way alright?”

 

Before they had time to say anything, he was already gone, using his web to pull himself off the ground and swing into the distance. Thor grabbed Loki’s hand and they dashed down the alley in the direction of him.

 

“Should we really go?,” Loki asked when they were once more blending into the masses. “He seems… strange.”

 

“Perhaps he is magic,” Thor offered.

 

“I would have sensed that.”

 

“Well then perhaps he could lead us to someone who is.”

 

Loki just huffed in reply, which was as good a ‘yes’ he could ever get. So he tried his best to search for the abandoned lot the man of spiders had mentioned, following the direction they had seen him take off in. It took them a while, but eventually they took a set of stairs that was barely holding together, leading up to an empty building, devoid of furniture or even walls. Out of a bit of refuse and abandoned equipment, he had apparently built some sort of hideout. There he was hanging off the wall, drinking from a juice box, his mask pushed up slightly.

 

“Welcome to my super secret, super crappy hideout,” he said, waving to them. “I know it sucks, but I got tired of getting my stuff stolen.”

 

He pointed to a small backpack lying on the floor, half hidden under a piece of cardboard.

 

“I would welcome you to sit but I really wouldn’t recommend it.”

 

He walked further along the ceiling, which seemed to ironically be the cleanest part of the whole place. Loki looked disgusted, and pressed closer to Thor.

 

“So I’m Spider-Man, what are your names?”

 

“That is hardly a name,” Loki interjected before Thor could reply. “You saw us, and what we can do. It would only be fair to talk on an equal level.”

 

The man of spiders tilted his head, jumped off the ceiling and turned gracefully to land on his feet. His hand came to the top of his head, curling in the mask but he hesitated for a moment.

 

“We shall not tell anyone,” Thor encouraged him. “We have no reason to.”

 

Finally he pulled it off, revealing a young man - very young - with brown hair and pale skin. Thor had not expected him to be quite that young, not after all the stories he heard about him on the television. He sought out danger almost every night, saving people along the way.

 

“So er, I’m Peter,” he introduced himself.

 

“I am Thor,” he replied, then gestured to his brother. “And this is Loki.”

 

“Thor and Loki?,” Peter huffed, grinning. “Your parents were into Norse Mythology, huh?”

 

“Mythology?”

 

“They think we are fables,” Loki told him. “I’ve seen books about us. Ridiculous stories, really. Although the one where you dress up as a bride was quite amusing. And almost accurate.”

 

“How do they know that?,” Thor asked, appalled. That plan had gone horribly wrong and he didn’t want to be reminded of it.

 

“Who knows? Perhaps we are not the only ones able to travel between the realms.”

 

“Wait, you aren’t seriously telling me that you are the Thor and Loki?,” Peter interrupted them. “That’s… That’s impossible, you’d be thousands of years old!”

 

“Time can be a little… iffy,” Loki told him.

 

“Iffy?,” Thor asked. “Is that your professional word as a witch? - Ow!”

 

Something had pinched his ear, and the telltale green shimmer of his brother’s magic still clung to it for a moment before dissipating.

 

“Suffice it to say that we are not that old. Though much older than you are,” Loki continued as if nothing had happened. “But we are… Asgardians. Or were.”

 

“That is so cool!,” Peter blurted out. “The mighty Thor! Right in front of me!”

 

He puffed up a little, grinning down at his brother. So the mortals here knew of him, interesting…

 

“Wait, why’d you say were?,” Peter suddenly remembered, and turned to Loki.

 

“We were cast out.” Loki didn’t look at him, and let go of Thor to wander off a little.

 

“That doesn’t sound like fun…”

 

“It was not,” Thor said, longing to go to Loki but unsure whether he needed some space or not. “I would rather not tell the whole story. But we are looking for… work, places that could use our powers. I promised I would get us a better home.”

 

“Well, you know, I don’t really get paid, but there’s the Avengers. Group of big, powerful people who rescue others. Not sure how much they get paid though.”

 

“The Avengers, huh?,” Thor asked. He had heard mention of them here and there, but there had been more important things in his life. “Avenging… Not sure that could be something.”

 

“We may be safe from Heimdall’s gaze but it is only a matter of time before Odin casts his sight to Midgard,” Loki said, further away, his voice echoing slightly. “It will be easier to find us if we are in the spotlight.”

 

“But wouldn’t helping people be a good thing? It’s what we used to do.”

 

Loki turned to him, his green eyes reflecting the low light that was coming in through the wall behind them. He was tearing up, and that in front of someone else. Thor quickly rushed to him, but Loki looked away, hugging himself.

 

“Is that worth the risk?,” he asked.

 

“I want to do this for you,” Thor said softly. “To give you a better life than this. To build something, with you.”

 

“Do you know what he’ll do to me if he finds us? I don’t… I don’t want to die, Thor.”

 

Thor couldn’t help himself then, he pulled Loki close into a hug, tight and protective as he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He tried to calm himself, his tears and his beating heart. He had to be strong for his brother.

 

“You won’t die. I promise. I will never let that happen.”

 

“The spell is gone,” Loki whispered. “Nothing’s tying you to me anymore.”

 

“You mean besides me being utterly in love with you?” He pulled back and smiled at Loki, brushing tears from his cheeks. “I will never leave you. Spell or no. I promise.”

 

The sound of someone clearing their throat made them both turn and look at Peter, who was blushing and rubbing the back of his neck.

 

“So like, this seems super private, and uh…,” he coughed and took a step closer. “I just uhm, I kinda know Tony Stark, you know, Iron Man, and like he could probably meet you in private. Just to like, figure things out. Maybe. And maybe he knows how to protect you from that Odin guy.”

 

“A mortal?,” Loki huffed, still wiping away his tears. “I doubt that.”

 

“It’s worth a try, isn’t it?,” Thor asked. “Just to see him.”

 

“He’s a cool dude, I promise.”

 

Loki had gone silent, burying his face in Thor’s chest to avoid being seen, or look at anyone. When he got this way there was no talking to him, so Thor invited Peter to swing by the coffee shop he worked at so they could talk every now and then, when it wasn’t busy. Slowly but surely he became a known sight there, along with his friend Ned who apparently also knew about his secret identity. Together with Loki the three of them made a very odd pair, but one Thor was more than happy to go to during his breaks.

 

Slowly, they were becoming friends. And every so often, Peter would talk about Tony. How amazing he was, how smart, the kind of gifts he gave him, new toys to play with and things to keep him safe. As arrogant as Tony could seem, he seemed to really care about Peter. As did Ned.

 

“Check this out, he gave us these ear pieces so I can talk to him when he’s out,” Ned said proudly, showing them to Loki who frowned at them.

 

“You can’t do that on your own?” He stared at Ned then, who grinned, and then flinched.

 

“Whoa. You talked. In my head! That’s cool.”

 

Loki gave him a smile. He could be just as prideful as Thor. So he ruffled his hair, earning an annoyed sigh, and kissed the top of his head.

 

“Loki is very talented.”

 

“Skilled,” Loki corrected.

 

“That too.”

 

Loki smoothed his hair down again, pinning it up with practiced movement, not needing to even consult a mirror. How he could do it so elegantly was a mystery to Thor. But then he turned to Ned, to continue a conversation they had had without him earlier.

 

“Just go ask Peter to that dance,” Loki said. “I don’t see what’s so difficult about it.”

 

Ned seemed to shrink in on himself.

 

“What if he says no? I don’t want to lose him as a friend.”

 

“He cares for you,” Loki replied.

 

“I know that I just-”

 

Loki leaned forward, catching his gaze and raising one eyebrow.

 

“He cares for you,” he said again. “Trust me.”

 

As Ned’s eyes widened in realisation Peter came out from the bathroom and plopped down next to him, casually leaning against him. They were very comfortable with each other, and Thor finally understood what had been going on. The two of them were damn adorable.

 

“So I just got a text from Tony-”

 

“In the bathroom?,” Loki interrupted, but Peter didn’t seem to care.

 

“Yeah of course, so he said he’s ready to meet with you. Tonight if you want, at Stark Industries. I think he has a penthouse there. Oh also I’m invited too.”

 

Loki looked up at Thor, still a little worried about the prospect of being in the limelight on this planet. But Thor promised they would just talk, at first anyway. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t just want more because he could give Loki a better life that way. Maybe he wanted more because he had been raised as a prince, maybe he just felt like he could do more, help people, just… do anything that wasn’t pouring coffee for strangers.

 

They didn’t really have anything to wear to a billionaire’s penthouse, so neither bothered to change. No matter what Loki wore, be it golden robes or a loose top with various runes on it, along with a leather jacket and black pants, he looked incredible. Like royalty. Thor compared to him in his jeans and hoodie looked far more like a Midgardian than he cared to.

 

When they met up with Peter in front of the building he was practically vibrating with excitement.

 

“I thought you’ve met him before,” Loki said, brushing a streak of long black hair behind his ear.

 

“I did, but I don’t see him that often. And he’s just so cool!”

 

“I really don’t see what someone’s temperature has to do with anything,” he sighed, and looked up. “Let’s just go in.”

 

Peter pushed past him quickly and waved at the man sitting behind an impressive metal counter. He seemed to know Peter already and let them through quickly, where they stood in a glass elevator to go all the way up where it said “penthouse” on the sign. Peter was chatting excitedly, talking about what he wanted to ask Tony and whether they could train again soon. Loki quietly reached for Thor’s hand, and in return he squeezed it. A reassurance. His promise had never wavered, he would always protect Loki.

 

The elevator opened up into a large living room, almost as large as Thor’s rooms back on Asgard had been. But instead of gold and elaborate everything here was very clean cut, a lot of silver and glass. The open room ended with a front of windows that overlooked the entire city, and on the enormous couch that surrounded a white coffee table, was not just the man called Tony Stark. Others had gathered here.

 

“What is this?,” Loki hissed, but Peter was already gone and hugging Tony who looked a little awkward at that. “We were supposed to talk to one man.”

 

“And upon hearing that we would talk to actual Norse gods, I figured I would invite some friends,” Tony said, walking up to them and offering his hand. Thor took it, but Loki did not.

 

“My br-ahhhh,” Thor yelped in pain as Loki squeezed his hand hard. “I mean Loki is just very cautious. We did not expect this kind of company.”

 

A red haired woman glanced at Thor, and he blushed. Somehow it felt like she knew what he had almost been about to say.

 

“No need to be shy. Or nervous,” Tony said, grinning at them. “Come on, sit, want a drink?”

 

“Yes,” they both blurted out.

 

On Asgard, alcohol had flown freely. On Midgard, alcohol was expensive. Tony chuckled at their reactions and poured a deep golden liquid that they both took eagerly. It was exquisite, almost like that liquor the elves of Alfheim had offered them in thanks for slaying that beast. For a moment it brought Thor back to simpler times, to when he had found happiness with his friends.

 

No, this here, it was happiness too. He missed the warriors three and Sif, of course, but Loki… Loki was worth giving up everything.

 

“Are you even old enough to drink?,” a blonde man asked them. He looked tall and strong, but Thor was pretty sure he could take him.

 

“We’re older than all of you combined,” Loki replied, taking another sip. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and Thor wondered if he was thinking of the same night. That night Thor had given him his first gift. Thor’s hand wandered to his throat, gently caressing, and for a moment he was lost in those green eyes.

 

Until someone cleared their throat again.

 

“Well Steve here is about ninety…,” Tony said but Thor had to laugh.

 

“Yes, definitely older than that,” he said. “You mortals have very short lives, don’t you?”

 

“Mortals?,” another man sat to their left, toying with an arrow. “Sounds a hell of a lot like you’re looking down on us.”

 

The red haired woman smacked the back of his head, then reached for the arrow and put it out of his reach, to which he pouted. Thor watched the whole thing with slight bemusement.

 

“Far from it,” he said. “It is merely… what you are. To us. We have many centuries in front of us.”

 

He reached out for Loki’s hand, who intertwined his fingers with Thor’s. He wasn’t going to hide their relationship from anyone, not anymore. Down here no one knew. Steve glanced at where their hands were together, and smiled.

 

“Well, I suppose introductions are in order,” Tony had sat down, and Peter was sitting close to him, hanging on to every word. “You know my little clinger here, that over there is Steve, there’s Bucky and Sam, opposite you are Natasha, Clint and Wanda, Pietro should be here but I guess he fucked off to wherever he is this time of night.”

 

“Some of us,” Wanda said. Her brown hair fell in lovely curls, Thor found himself staring until Loki squeezed his hand painfully. “Have actual lives you know. He has a date.”

 

“Now that’s a self own if ever I heard one,” Sam chuckled to himself, but Tony waved them off.

 

“Anyway, I couldn’t help inviting them all to meet real life gods.”

 

“We’re not gods,” Thor snorted, shook his head and took another sip of his drink. “Oh but I can control lightning if that’s what you mean.”

 

“Right,” Clint said sarcastically. “And what about him, he can make it rain?”

 

“If I wanted to,” Loki’s duplicate whispered into the man’s ear, making him jump and go for his arrow again. More of them appeared, one for each member of the Avengers in the room. They smiled wickedly, inspecting each and every one of them. “I could also take out every single one of you. If I wanted to.”

 

“Stop showing off, Loki,” he scolded him, and one by one the duplicates vanished again. “However, that is absolutely true.”

 

Wanda smiled, and appeared completely calm.

 

“Nice illusions. A little see through in places.”

 

“Illusions are merely a taste of what I can do. I have studied magic all my life. I learned from the best.”

 

“And who would that be?,” Steve asked.

 

Loki hesitated for a moment.

 

“Thor’s mother,” he finally said, and Thor turned to him. Loki wouldn’t be able to take this back, to reveal that she had been his mother too. But he squeezed his hand again. “Frigga, of Asgard.”

 

“Asgard, hm?,” Natasha finally spoke. “That is where people say the gods come from.”

 

“I don’t know what people say this, but we are just… people. From another place,” Thor insisted. He looked down to his hand, let a little energy crackle along his fingers. “Some of us have talents, it is true. But then so do you.”

 

He glanced at Peter who perked up at that, smiling at him. The boy was adorable, not as capable as he could be, but so very brave. Thor admired that.

 

“So you know,” Peter said. “I know you won’t let me in the Avengers, but these guys are like way older than me. They could help, right?”

 

“Before we decide that we need to test what you can do. And whether we can trust you.” Steve stood and walked closer to them, reaching out, and Thor took his hand to be pulled up. He was just a little bit taller than Thor.

 

“We have travelled to almost all of the nine realms, we have felled monsters and fought armies,” he said. “But I am more than happy to show you what the mighty Thor can do.”

 

“Yeah! Mighty Thor!,” Peter called out, freezing and blushing when everyone looked at him.

 

“Alright, let’s do this. Now, why the hell not,” Tony was grinning, and talked to someone who wasn’t there, a Jarvis, to prepare the gym for them. “Let’s go.”

 

Among excited chatter and glares from that man named Bucky, who hadn’t said a word, they cramped into the elevator, needing two trips before all of them made it a few floors down. The two of them politely declined any training wear or weapons, even though Peter was very eager to inspect what they had.

 

“Doesn’t Thor have some kind of mystical hammer?,” Clint asked, taking something akin to one from the weapons rack. Everything here was so… shiny. But clean cut. Thor didn’t like it.

 

“There is one, Mjölnir, in my father’s vault. I have never cared for hammers much,” he said, shrugging out of his hoodie. Loki’s gaze wandered to his exposed belly and he grinned. “I don’t need a weapon to take you on.”

 

He felt excited, almost giddy at the prospect of doing what he loved. And he was curious to see what they could all do, especially Wanda who had something mystical about her. She reminded him of Loki, perhaps she had magic like his too. For now, however, they all filed into the large open area, a clean court with soft floors intersected by lines in regular intervals, giving the floor a checkered appearance. Most of the Avengers sat down at the edge of it, some with their drinks, but Steve and Tony stood at one end of the court, so Thor and Loki got ready at the other.

 

“Sure you don’t need a shield, beautiful?,” Tony directed at Loki. As he stretched out his hand a panel opened behind him, and one by one a metal armour wrapped around him.

 

Loki looked utterly unimpressed.

 

“Bring it on, tin man.”

 

Besides him, Steve burst out into laughter.

 

“Oh come on Steve, I’m trying to be cool here,” Tony’s voice now sounded a little different, and Thor was close to bursting out into laughter too. The metal suit may have been impressive if Tony didn’t look so defeated. “Can’t you just be on my side one time?”

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Steve wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, and picked up the shield by his side. “I’ll be serious now, I swear. Tin Man.”

 

“We should go easy on them,” Thor whispered to Loki, who smirked at him.

 

“Better be safe than sorry. We don’t want to accidentally kill our new… friends.”

 

“Loki, don’t-”

 

Thor was interrupted by a sudden energy beam that made them take a step back from one another. It had hit the wall behind them, leaving a stain. Somehow Thor suspected that’s not what would happen if it hit him.

 

“Do we have your attention now?,” Tony asked, flying forward.

 

Thor got ready, standing his ground as the suit of metal flew towards him, and he grabbed onto it, lifted off the ground. Tony tried to reach back and grab for him, but Thor was strong, very strong. He dug his fingers into one of the panels on Tony’s back. The armour had come to him in parts, so it should be able to come off. He pried one of them loose when Tony started to spin, the unexpected movement making him fall off and onto the padded floor. The fall knocked the breath from his lungs but he got up quickly, seeing Loki and Steve go at it on the other side.

 

Steve was strong, and he had a shield, but Loki was cunning and fast. The illusion didn’t work on Steve anymore, he had already come to expect them, but Loki’s hands were raised and green energy swirled around them, as he muttered incantations under his breath. He teleported behind Steve, and shot a streak of ice at him, knocking him off his feet. Loki’s triumphant grin was only interrupted by the arrow narrowly missing his head as he swerved just in time.

 

Clint had gotten up behind him, ready to join the fight, just as Tony was diving again for Thor.

 

“Not this time,” he mumbled to himself, focused on the energy within him and let it crackle over his body, arching out towards the suit of armour.

 

It had the desired effect, stunning it so he could grab it and throw it on the ground. He didn’t hesitate, went for the chest piece and ripped it off in one go, ripping it apart and throwing it away. The light from the armour’s eyes went out and he stood, triumphant.

 

But out of the corner of his eyes he saw something red, and he dodged out of the way just in time to see Natasha join the fight. She was smirking at him, and they started to circle one another.

 

“I took him out easily,” he warned.

 

“The tin man? Not a hard feat to accomplish.”

 

“Heyyy,” Tony’s hurt voice drifted to them. “Why is everyone so mean today? Can I get some help?”

 

As Bucky pulled him off to the side Thor concentrated on Natasha. She was smaller than him, but he could tell there was more to her than met the eye. He had learned from the cradle not to underestimate women. She suddenly charged, but dropped to her knees in an unexpected move, hitting the side of his knee which made him buckle and fall. Another blow to the back of his head made him see stars, but he quickly caught himself.

 

A blind swing made her dodge back and he jumped off, flying higher and farther than she had expected. His fist narrowly avoided her cheek and she followed up instantly with a quick jab to his ribs, sending a sharp pain through him. But when he drew back he let his elbow collide with her shoulder, sending her down.

 

But not out.

 

She rolled to the side, swinging wide with her leg to make him fall, and at it they went again. She was fast and cunning, and Thor suspected that were he mortal, many of her blows had already sent him into the land of dreams. But she didn’t know how to handle an Asgardian - yet. Something told him that it would only be a matter of time.

 

Out of the corner of his eye he noticed Loki seemed to have already dealt with Clint, and now he and Wanda took up most of the training room. He held out his hand and Natasha immediately stopped in her tracks.

 

“Wait,” he said, and they both shifted their attention.

 

Loki and Wanda were locked in a display of incredible power. His green magic, and her red were clashing against one another, ripping apart the gym and only narrowly missing the others. With one look Thor could see how stubborn Loki was, unwilling to be defeated by the only other magic user in the room. Or at least that’s what Thor thought she was.

 

Panels under Loki were ripped out, making him almost trip but a disk of green energy lifted him higher, and a thin sheet of energy wrapped around him to save him from falling debris. In the end the two were simply pushing against one another, the red and green clashing between them, both focusing harder and harder.

 

Thor, of course, was rooting for his brother, whispering encouragements under his breath that he couldn’t hear. Then, suddenly, something exploded. He couldn’t see or hear properly, the shock wave had caused them all to fall back, a ringing was all that was in Thor’s ear. And immediately he got up again, rushing towards Loki who was barely standing. But Wanda didn’t look much better.

 

“Loki, are you okay?,” he asked, supporting him.

 

Loki looked up, and grinned towards Wanda.

 

“Yes, I’m alright.”

 

When the two of them had caught their breath again, Loki walked closer to her, and for a moment Thor worried they would start again, that his brother needed to prove himself stronger. But after a moment’s hesitation he reached out, and Wanda clasped his forearm.

 

“Impressive,” she said.

 

“Likewise.”

 

He burst out laughing and clasped Loki’s shoulders from behind.

 

“An impressive display!,” he blurted out. “Incredible, both of you. To be in the presence of such fine warriors!”

 

Wanda chuckled at his words and Loki rolled his eyes. Slowly, everyone else was gathering around them.

 

“Well that was fun!,” Tony blurted out, slapping Thor’s shoulder. “I think you are more than capable.”

 

“I defeated you easily,” Thor pointed out.

 

“Yeah I’ll just move right past that…”

 

“Enough, Tony,” Steve said gently, reaching out and Thor took his hand to shake it. “While you’re certainly powerful, we normally don’t go around recruiting new people into this group.”

 

“No, normally the world is threatened by something large and evil and powerful people somehow end up helping us,” Clint pointed out. “Wouldn’t it be nice to have them on the team before shit goes down?”

 

Steve sighed.

 

While they were not officially on the team right away - and Loki was still reluctant to even consider it - they got a call a few weeks later. A terrorist attack, Tony said. The two rushed to the tower, where the Avengers were suited up, a fact Loki had a lot of things to say about, but there was no time. It meant taking the garish outfits Tony had designed for them - including masks. For all his flaws, he knew they were hiding something, among them their identities. There was a lot of leather, black and red for himself, black and green for Loki, and Thor wasn’t very sure how well he could move in these things.

 

“I can’t believe I’m going into public like this,” Loki grumbled, seated among the others on what Tony called a quinjet. “Thank the gods there are masks.”

 

Clint was highly amused by the whole circumstance, but Thor had soon forgotten their outfits. Lives were at stakes, people being held hostages by men with guns, and it was up to them to get everyone out alive. He had to hold back his grin, this was a serious situation after all, but once he was in the thick of it, relying on his own powers and on those of the people around him, he realised he was finally in his element again.

 

Loki, along with Clint and Natasha broke down the first line of defense. Neither of them made any noise, but took out the patrolling guards without breaking a sweat. Thor’s fingers were itching, and the moment those men realised something was going on and started shooting out of the building’s windows, he was let loose. The bullets hardly grazed him, and the guns were easy enough to twist. By his side Steve - Captain America - knocked people out with his shield.

 

The moment they finally made it to the hostages, they froze. But Thor had to smile. He was the only one who could see the wisps of magical energy move behind the men threatening innocent people. It swirled around their heads and dove into their ears, letting them freeze on the spot. It was Wanda who then ripped their guns away from them, and as easy as that, it was over.

 

He only saw Loki when they made it back to the ship.

 

“Did you not wish to hear their thanks?,” Thor asked, pulling him close as they both held on to the hand holds above them. After a fight Thor always felt… excited.

 

Loki grinned up at him.

 

“I do not need their thanks. Nor do I need them knowing I am even here.”

 

“You’re very cautious,” Thor whispered into his ear, kissing Loki’s neck just below his earlobe. “And very skilled.”

 

“And you are reckless.” Loki pressed against him, hiding his face from the others. “What are you doing? Can’t you wait until we are back?”

 

“Fine,” he mumbled, pulling away but not letting Loki out of his grasp. “But when we are back, I will have you.”

 

Loki didn’t reply anything to that, but he let himself be dragged into an empty corridor back at their headquarters in New York. Leather clothes hanging off Loki’s leg and shoulder, he let himself be picked up and pressed against the wall, spreading his legs eagerly for his brother.

 

“You’re so beautiful, brother,” Thor groaned into Loki’s ear, feeling his wet, warm hole around his cock. “And you’re mine.”

 

“Fuck, Thor, ahh-” Loki’s fingers were digging into Thor’s back, leaving red streaks and perhaps even drawing a bit of blood. Thor did not care. Instead, he fucked Loki harder. “Oh yes right there!”

 

Thor did not care if they were loud, though perhaps he should, considering his choice of words. But he was too lost in the pleasure and the form of his brother pressed against his own to realise just how bad that could be. He pulled back a little to watch Loki’s beautiful face, the curve of his brow drawn together, the gentle way he bit on his own lip to keep from moaning. It urged him on, made him thrust into his brother sharper, harder, to hit that sweet spot in him that made him feel the same pleasure Thor was experiencing. Together they drew each other closer and closer to the edge.

 

But suddenly he stilled, clinging tighter to Loki and looking down the corridor to his left. The strange feeling of being watched had come over him, but there was no one there, neither to the right of them. Loki’s soft whimpers, the gentle calling of his name drew his attention back to his brother.

 

“Thor?,” he asked, panting and holding on to him, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. He looked needy, desperate almost and Thor made sure to kiss that desperation away.

 

“I’m sorry, it was nothing,” he whispered, and went back to a more gentle rhythm this time, making sure that Loki felt every inch of his cock sliding in and out of him. It drew out the sweetest of moans, throaty and beautiful, like music to Thor’s ears.

 

Very slowly he returned to his previous pace, finding himself fucking Loki as hard as he knew he could take, sending them both over the edge. Overwhelmed, Loki kissed him, clumsily, and Thor had to grin into the kiss. Together they slid down the wall, coming to rest on the cold floor. Thor drew his brother closer to share their warmth. He caressed and kissed him, made sure that he took enough time before they both dressed once more to return to their home.

 

The team would give them knowing looks whenever they went off like that, but no one seemed to mind. Tony, most of all, was very amused. But Thor enjoyed his gentle teasing, and had enough comebacks to his wit. Slowly they built a sort of routine with them, and the mysterious new additions to the Avengers became well known, although their identities were safe. Tony truly cared for them, and he was the one to find a better apartment, to keep them safe. Thor decided to give him many hugs in thanks, laughing at the way he could easily lift him up.

 

Loki did not always go with him. If he was not specifically requested, and sometimes not even then, he would send Thor on his own. Loki was clearly worried for him whenever he went off on his own - he did not regard the team as capable of protecting him - but he was still more afraid of Odin. Sometimes he would try to convince Thor to stop doing this, hating whenever he saw his masked face in the newspapers or TV.

 

“I am finally doing something good,” Thor would say. “I am helping people like we used to, and I am giving you what you need. I promise you that the Avengers will protect us, should it come to that.”

 

Loki would always turn, and vanish to the roof, hugging himself but not letting Thor close. He hated those moments, when Loki would not let him in. They were in love, and Thor was willing to do anything for him but this… This was important to him, as much as Loki was.

 

However, when the Frostgiants appeared, Loki was ready to fight. Thor could almost sense the fear in his brother, but he was a good liar, good at pretending that this was some minor inconvenience for him. The Giants appeared through portals that Thor had never seen the likes of before, and froze the streets of New York, rampaging through it without any clear goal.

 

They had to keep the civilians safe, and so every last member of the Avengers was called to fight, braving them to protect their world. To Thor and Loki this was nothing new, but when they had a moment to breathe, Loki pulled him away from the others, hiding in a snow covered alley.

 

“You know why they are here,” he said, and Thor tilted his head.

 

“They mean to conquer, as they always do. Or attempt.”

 

“You think they can create such portals?,” Loki asked, huffing. He did not wait for an answer. “This reeks of the Allfather’s doing. He means to flush us out, and he is succeeding. We have to retreat. Hide. I must cast a more powerful spell.”

 

“And leave our friends to do the fighting?,” he gestured back towards the street, and in the distance something exploded. Thor was ready to return, but Loki grasped his wrist.

 

“They are capable enough, brother. Please do not be stubborn this once, I beg of you.”

 

Beg? Loki never begged. Thor looked down at his mask and tried to see through it, whether he was truly as scared as he suspected him to be. He turned back to him, and reached out to cup his cheek.

 

“Do you not remember my promise?,” he asked, smiling down at him. “I will always protect you. Be it Frostgiants, or Odin himself. If he comes, I will fight.”

 

Loki laughed without humour behind it.

 

“You, against him? You are truly a fool if you believe you could win.”

 

“We have friends now,” Thor said. “We do not have to do everything on our own.”

 

“Yes we do,” Loki shook his head and leaned against the dirty wall behind him, avoiding looking up at Thor. “If he truly comes here to kill me, he will reveal what we are to drive a stake between us. I have learned enough about humans to know that they would not tolerate this union.”

 

Thor looked down, and let the lighting dance over his fingertips. Loki was right, wasn’t he? He always was. Thor was not like Odin, not old or strong enough, and their friends would hate them just as much as their father did. He wanted so badly to believe something else…

 

“We can try,” he said quietly.

 

“What?”

 

“If he shows up, we can try,” he said again, meeting Loki’s eyes. “To fight on our own, or with our friends. Maybe it will happen exactly as you say and we have to run again but maybe… it won’t. Isn’t it worth trying? So that we can stay here, in our home?”

 

A moment passed before Loki spoke.

 

“You call this home?”

 

“You do not?,” Thor asked right back.

 

“Home is not a place to me anymore,” Loki whispered, his hand gently coming to rest on Thor’s chest.

 

He couldn’t help himself. He cupped Loki’s cheeks gently, and tilted his head for a kiss. He felt the snowflakes on them that were coming down perpetually ever since the Frostgiants had invaded. But underneath was warmth, and Loki.

 

“Let’s go,” Loki said.

 

“ _Where the hell are the gods?_ ,” they heard over their earpieces the moment they left the alley, and Thor realised Loki had probably put a spell on them to keep their privacy.

 

“We’re here,” Loki replied. “Taking on a big one near the Captain’s location.”

 

In the distance down the street they could see his shield hit another giant, making it reel on the spot. Thor already started running towards him, knowing that Loki would be doing his own thing. He jumped, flying far enough to land on the giant and slam him down with all his might. Another punch, and lightning struck him from above, knocking him out cold.

 

“Don’t go radio silent again!,” Steve scolded him, and behind him Loki appeared.

 

“Promise,” he said, making Steve jump.

 

“And stop doing that!”

 

“Yes, sir,” Loki said, grinning, and they both knew he wouldn’t stop doing that. “In any case, this assault will be endless if we do not track down the portal they are using. Only I can close it.”

 

“Are you sure, what about Wanda?,” Steve asked, still looking around for any new threats. Further down the street they could see a glimpse of Sam, teaming up with Tony to take down another giant.

 

“She may help me locate it,” Loki said. “But she doesn’t know their kind, or their magic, like I do.”

 

“As long as you can get it closed I don’t care who does it.” Steve pressed a finger to his ear. “Wanda, get to our location and help Loki.”

 

“Roger that,” her voice came through the ear piece, and a mere moment later she stepped out of the darkness behind them.

 

Thor loved watching the two of them work together. In the past few months out of all the Avengers, Loki had only become close with one of them, and that was Wanda. They were both powerful and headstrong, getting along easily and having most fun when they could tease Tony. Together they weaved their magic and Wanda’s powers, holding hands as they followed the stream of energy originating from them. Steve was once more called upon to keep the giants in check, and so it was only the three of them that approached the portal at the end of an alley, barely hidden.

 

“This is too easy,” Loki mumbled under his breath. All three of them were on their guard, Thor ready to unleash the lightning if anything threatened them.

 

The further down the alley they went, the colder it got, and soon enough all three of them were trying not to let their teeth chatter. Wanda wrapped an arm around Loki to steady them both, Thor noting with satisfaction how protective she was. But his main focus was on the portal. In the deep darkness of it, he could see the icy plains of Jotunheim, a place he had never wanted to see again after the brief and terrible trip they had taken there once. They had been too young, too foolish to think that they could brave the cold on their own.

 

He shook off the memory and concentrated on getting those that could do something about the portal closer. Once Loki started working his magic, he paced left and right behind him, keeping a close eye on the portal. Any more giants that would come through, he would stop right here. Slowly, the green energy started to surround the portal, making it flicker and shift. Slowly, Loki was digging his magic deep into it, breaking it down.

 

Then it suddenly fizzled, and vanished.

 

“You did it!,” Thor blurted out, slapping a hand on Loki’s shoulder so hard that it made him stumble. “Midgard is saved.”

 

“I… am not sure…,” Wanda trailed off, looking around. Her fingers were moving on their own, weaving her own magic.

 

“But it is gone!”

 

“No, she’s right, something is-”

 

A blast sent all three of them flying, though Thor could brace himself for most of it. He looked back and saw Wanda motionless on the ground, Loki screaming her name. A scream so loud and desperate it broke his heart in two. He appeared next to her in an instant, cradling her bleeding head in his lap.

 

“Wanda, gods…,” Loki’s gaze suddenly shifted, looking past Thor at the end of the alley. “No…”

 

Oddly enough, Thor did not feel afraid when he saw Odin standing there, large and imposing in this alley on Midgard. Perhaps because Loki had anticipated it, perhaps because the past few months had made him feel strong. Or maybe just because he loved Loki that much, so much that he was sure that no matter what happened, whether they survived or not, they would do so together.

 

“My son,” Odin said, a little more gentle than Thor had expected.

 

He didn’t relax his stance, he didn’t hold back the lightning that was coursing through and over his body. He was ready to fight.

 

“I am the son of no one,” he echoed Heimdall’s words.

 

Odin’s grip tightened on his lance, and his one eye glanced past Thor to Loki, still cradling Wanda protectively. Thor shifted so that he was between them.

 

“I don’t know how you are connected to the Frostgiants. But you will take them, and you will leave. Midgard has nothing to do with this.”

 

“It is where you chose to hide,” Odin said. “Once more you think little of the consequences.”

 

“And you thought unleashing Frostgiants was the right way to convince us to go back?,” Thor huffed, feeling anger rise within him. “Once more you act like a warmongering asshat.”

 

Asshat. He had heard it from Sam for the first time, and adopted it quickly. Back then it had been funny, right now it seemed like the only way to describe his father, who did not flinch at the word.

 

“I have no desire to bring the two of you back.” Odin’s eye narrowed. “Only you, my son.”

 

Thor did not look back but he knew that Loki would be hurt by those words, though he would never admit it.

 

“I told you, I am no one’s son. Leave, now, or you will feel my wrath.”

 

A smile tugged at the corner of Odin’s mouth, and he took a step closer. Thor finally let the lightning shoot out, hitting the ground just beside his foot, making him hesitate.

 

“Do you not see how he has twisted your mind?,” Odin asked, and Thor tensed.

 

“He has not-”

 

“Why won’t you see, boy?,” he suddenly shouted, slamming his staff onto the ground. The small shock wave let the snow swirl up all around them. “He has bewitched your mind, perverted you and your desires! Do you not see how wrong this is? Do you not see the shame you bring on your name lying with your own brother?!”

 

“I have no shame,” he said calmly. “Not anymore-”

 

Odin struck him out of nowhere, the force of it strong enough to send him crashing into the brick wall next to him. His body left a dent, and he fell to the ground bleeding and clutching his side. He had not expected Odin to strike. Deep down he had still expected there to be some kind of love in him, some kind of humanity. Ironic, really.

 

“No, Loki…” Thor was trying to drag his body between his brother and the spear that was pointed at him.

 

With a wave of his hand, Wanda was gently lifted away, carried to safety by a soft green blanket. Loki himself was sitting on his heels, looking up at Odin. Defiant, yet accepting.

 

“No, no, no,” he mumbled. The pain through his side was intense and fiery. “I promised, I promised…”

 

He had to save Loki. Something, he had to just do something. His lightning was gone, his power was broken. One single strike had ruined everything, and he had not even been able to see it coming.

 

The spear slashed forward. Stopped in mid-air. Thor barely saw the black wire around it, but Odin was so surprised it was ripped from his hand and clattered to the ground behind him. He turned to see but froze, clutching something on his neck. And then… then he fell to his knees. Thor’s eyes went wide and he looked up.

 

“Natasha?”

 

Yet he could not help trying to crawl closer to Loki, all the while watching her perched atop the back wall of the alley, gun pointed at Odin who was still stunned. She reached to her ear.

 

“I need everyone to get to my location. Now. Don’t ask questions, just get your asses here. We have a god problem.”

 

There was a chatter of voices in Thor’s ear that he couldn’t understand. He reached out to take Loki’s hand, and felt him squeeze. He had no idea what Natasha had done, but Odin was stunned long enough for everyone else to arrive. Odin was surrounded.

 

“He brought the Frostgiants here,” Thor managed to tell them. “To flush us out and to bring… us back to Asgard.”

 

Loki stood and helped him do the same, though he was leaning on him heavily. He now finally noticed that the spear had torn through his armour and opened a wide gash on his chest that was still bleeding. But Loki’s hand quickly came to soothe it.

 

“And here thought I had a messed up father,” Tony’s tinny voice came from above him.

 

Everything they had, it was aimed at Odin. Who was slowly starting to move again, turning around to take them all in. Slowly he picked up his spear, with no one trying to make a move, but he did not attack them either. Instead he looked at Thor. What he saw in his eye was not sadness or remorse. It was disgust.

 

“Goodbye, Thor, son of no one,” he said. Then whispered Heimdall’s name.

 

Just like that, he was gone again.

 

“Fuck, am I glad that guy left,” Bucky blurted out into the awkward silence between them. “He was kind of creepy.”

 

The tension eased quickly, and a new plan was formed. Those hurt would return to the tower, guided there by Natasha and Loki, the rest of them would scour the city for all remaining Frostgiants. But by the time they had made it back to headquarters, it was already clear that with Odin’s disappearance, they had left as well.

 

Wanda gained consciousness shortly after as well, complaining that she had hit her head and missed all the excitement. She was soon resting again, and Thor was made to as well, lying in his room with Loki sitting by his side. He had already showered, his hair still damp, leaving wet traces on the simple white shirt he was wearing. Reaching out, he gently brushed through Thor’s hair, and he let out a content sigh.

 

“I told you they would fight for us,” Thor mumbled, close to drifting off to sleep.

 

Loki didn’t say anything for a moment, just looked at him. Not smiling, but not angry either.

 

“You can come out, Natasha, it’s not like you to hide in our rooms.”

 

Thor felt utterly confused when Natasha came into view, waving at them. She sat on the other side of the bed, smiling down at Thor who couldn’t help but return it.

 

“How much did you hear?,” Loki asked.

 

“Everything,” she replied.

 

“Wait, what? Oh-” It took a moment for it to sink in, but Thor’s insides clammed up at the realisation. Natasha had heard everything.

 

“And you did not run to tell everyone? How disgusting we are?,” Loki’s voice was ice, but he was still clinging to Thor’s hand.

 

She took in a deep breath, but then… she smiled. Unlike he had ever seen her smile before. It was somewhat sad, an emotion that she rarely let show. But there was something gentle about it too. Thor was still confused. Perhaps it was that medication he had been given.

 

“I have done a lot worse in my life,” she said. “I am not in a position to judge.”

 

“I thought it was what humans did best,” Loki said.

 

“Oh they do. They love to, actually,” she paused for a moment. “I know fear when I see it, hidden behind a mask. You don’t have anything to fear from me. It’s a promise. Whether you believe that, is up to you.”

 

“See, I told you!,” Thor blurted out, his words somewhat slurred. He reached out for Natasha’s hand and kissed it. “You’re so pretty and nice. And so strong! Like a Valkyrie! The bravest warriors there ever were! I wish I were a Valkyrie…”

 

Natasha chuckled, and so did Loki. All Thor could feel was happiness at seeing their smiles, although they were somewhat fuzzy.

 

“He’s drugged up,” Natasha said. “I’ll come by again later. And Loki… You may not be important to him, but… you’re important to us.”

 

Thor didn’t remember anything after that, only that the next day he woke up to find Loki curled up by his side, but not quite touching him. He reminded him a lot of a cat, and he reached out to pet his silky, beautiful hair until he woke up and greeted him with a careful kiss.

 

“How is your side?,” Loki asked softly.

 

“Much better. Was Natasha here last night?”

 

“Yeah. I… I really don’t think she told anyone. About us.”

 

“Soo… basically, Odin showed up, but everything turned out fine?,” Thor grinned at his brother, hand on his back.

 

“Don’t you say it-”

 

“I told you so!,” Thor blurted out immediately. “Finally! Just once I wanted to say it!”

 

“Ugh.”

 

“Come here, grumpy kitten.”

 

Loki rolled his eyes but still he leaned down to kiss Thor, longer this time until they were both lost in each other once more. His brother complained about his breath, but kissed him again. Until they felt at ease again, and Thor was strong enough to get up. He could still sense some nervousness in Loki when they rejoined the others to talk about the previous day’s events, but no one mentioned anything, and Natasha gave no indication of spilling their secret. He had a feeling that she was good at keeping them.

 

It wasn’t long before they were celebrating their victory, as they tended to. Tony threw fantastic parties and Wanda was recovering quickly enough so that she and Loki could judge those around them and laugh together. It was good to see him this way, but while he enjoyed their company in private, being an Avenger did not make him happy. And Thor had promised that he would make him happy, no matter what.

 

Peter was a huge help in this.

 

Still, weeks went by before their plan came to fruition. They scoured New York, planned, talked, and managed to hide it all from Loki until they were ready and could drag him down one of the many, many alleys New York had to offer. This one didn’t feel so intimidating, and when they stopped in front of the dark wooden shop front, Loki raised an eyebrow.

 

“What is this?,” he asked. “There is- Huh. There’s magic here.”

 

“You’ll see,” Peter had a wide grin on his face as he opened the door, a little bell announcing their arrival. “We’re here!”

 

The open room was lined with shelves of various sizes, filled with books, trinkets, plants and knick knacks, all of them arcane in nature. Placed on a round table in the middle of the room was a white, silken blanket, showing off different kinds of jewelry. Thor noticed Loki eyeing a green pendant out of the corner of his eye.

 

But their attention was drawn to the black metal staircase, spiralling up to another floor. A small man was coming down, jumping the last step and greeted them with a smile. His white hair was floofy, he had one green eye, one blue, and even Thor could sense the power that radiated off him and his beautiful smile. He walked straight to Loki and held out his hand.

 

“Hi, you must be Loki! I’m Paul.”

 

“A… pleasure,” Loki replied.

 

Paul didn’t let go of his hand just yet, instead he led him behind the counter where the register was, into another part of the shop. Peter and Thor followed, passing the curtain in place of a door to see what looked like an alchemy lab. Herbs were hanging from the ceiling to dry, large apothecary shelves lined the walls, each small drawer holding different ingredients. A cauldron was hanging in the fireplace, but a more modern set up was on the table in the middle, beakers and Bunsen burners. Loki was looking around curiously, and only Thor could see how much this intrigued him. Judging by Paul’s smile, he had an inkling too.

 

“So, your brother and Peter told me you’re looking for something to do,” Paul said, leaning against a desk on which he prepared various ingredients. “Frankly, I could use the help.”

 

“What is it exactly that you do?,” Loki crossed his arms and looked at him, having difficulty looking away from everything that was in the room.

 

“A lot of things. I dabble in various potions and enchantments, I’ve learned to make jewelry that usually have a charm to them as well. And I make most of my ingredients myself, if you want to follow me to the garden…”

 

They did. Though Thor and Peter were slowly hanging back, listening to their voices in the distance. It was quickly becoming clear that Loki’s caution made way to excitement when he saw plants that were familiar to both of them, plants that here were considered exotic, but in Asgard were all around. This little piece of home was perhaps the tipping point. The point where Loki became sure that he would love to work here, together with Paul.

 

The two of them listened to Loki and Paul plot their future, discuss enchantments and potions, charms and spells. Soon enough they were laughing together, weaving spells to show what they could do. A little green dragon flowed through the air, followed by a pale green fairy. Thor could not help but smile.

 

“They get along well,” Peter said by his side.

 

“I have you to thank for this,” Thor looked down at him, and put an arm around his shoulders. “I know he is not happy with the Avengers. And he does not have to be. If this… No. I think this will work out. Thanks to you, I can finally make him happy.”

 

Peter hugged him then, and together they sneaked out to leave the two of them to get closer acquainted. Thor could not wait to hear the stories Loki would tell him once he had come home. This was going to work out. This would make them happy. Thor was sure of it.

 

 


End file.
